Barry William Kallenberg, a Miami-Dade County, Florida rabbi, was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of continually claiming that his luggage had been lost at the Miami International Airport in order to collect insurance funds, news sources indicate. Kallenberg, 60, reportedly netted more than $30,000 from Miami-Dade airports during the alleged scheme. He was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail on 73 counts of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud following his arrest. His bail bond was set at $110,000. It is not yet known whether he has hired an attorney.
Reports say Kallenberg performs services as a rabbi in South Florida, but that he does not serve at a specific synagogue. "I do mostly weddings, funerals and unveilings," he said during a court hearing following his arrest. Kallenberg said he also supervises investments; however, reports did not say whether he works for himself or if he own or operates under another company. So far, it is unclear how many clients Kallenberg manages money for and how this recent arrest will affect his standing with those clients.
"I also own real estate in New York that I need to attend to," Kallenberg said during his hearing. Reports say Kallenberg owns a residence in Sunny Isles Beach in Miami-Dade County and another residence in Alpine, New Jersey. Perhaps due to this, Kallenberg regularly flies to and from Miami-Dade International Airport. During some of those arrivals, reports say Kallenberg made claims with Allianz Global Assistance and American Express, saying his luggage had been lost. As compensation, the companies apparently refunded Kallenberg $500 per claim. This money, as with other payments made to people whose luggage is lost, was supposed to go towards replacing lost items. Some insurance companies even require that customers produce receipts to prove that they have used the money for this purpose.
Detectives say that Kallenberg's luggage had always been delivered as promised. Surveillance video reportedly shows Kallenberg collecting his luggage at the Miami International Airport on numerous occasions before departing the facility. Sometime later, he would return and claim that his luggage had gone missing, sources say. Each time he made the claim, reports say the insurance company would refund him $500 to be used to replace the missing luggage. Kallenberg would reportedly purchase items, produce the receipts as proof, then return the items and keep the money.